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Mayor pitches thank-the-police campaign

LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima is proposing the city create yard signs as a way to show support for the work done by local law enforcement in the wake of two southern New Mexico officers being killed in the line of duty in recent weeks

LAS CRUCES - Mayor Ken Miyagishima is proposing the city create and give away yard signs to show support for local law enforcement in the wake of two southern New Mexico officers killed in the line of duty in recent weeks.

Miyagishima, who pitched the idea at a City Council meeting Tuesday, said he envisions the city of Las Cruces creating small signs akin to a type it already hands out promoting safe driving in neighborhoods. Residents could get the free signs from the city to post at their business or home.

While the specific text and graphics of the sign haven't been finalized, Miyagishima said the basic message would be a "thank you" to police in the city for "all they do." He said it wouldn't specifically mention fallen officers, but rather would be a general message.

"It's just a way of hopefully bringing the community together and to highlight the dangers of law enforcement every day," he said. "It's a tough job, and it seems like it's getting tougher everyday."

On Aug. 12, Hatch police officer José Ismael Chavez, a Las Cruces resident, was shot while carrying out a traffic stop in that northern Doña Ana County community. He died later the same day in an El Paso hospital, leaving behind a fiancée and two daughters. Then, on Friday, a second policeman, Clint Corvinus, 33, died from his injuries in Alamogordo after being struck by gunfire during a foot pursuit. He left behind a girlfriend and an 8-year-old daughter.

The measure must still be voted upon by the council, according to Miyagishima. A resolution could be on a city agenda as early as next week.

The city would have to work out a number of logistics, city officials said.

Interim City Manager David Dollahon said the city police chief, public information officer and streets department will be developing a plan on how to implement the project that will cover the signs' design, pricing and how they'll be distributed.

"It is very much a work in progress," he said.

Sgt. Robert McCord of the Las Cruces Police Department said he thinks the proposed signs would be meaningful to officers. After two decades in law enforcement, McCord said he hasn't received as many kind words from the public as he has this summer.

"I've never had so many people approach me," he said. "I went to lunch with my wife two weeks ago, right after the Hatch officer was shot. We were there about an hour. Three people approached me and said: 'Thanks for protecting my city.'"

Continued McCord: "It's nice to know because we start to think the public is not behind us anymore."

Dollahon said the city is likely to buy the initial round of signs. But he said the city wouldn't turn away donations, if people wanted to give a contribution.

LCPD Chief Jaime Montoya said the proposed signs would be a visible way to give residents an "opportunity to say thanks to area law enforcement for all their hard work."

"Many times we are so busy with our daily lives that we don’t make the time to do this," he said. "With a yard sign, the public can say thanks and law enforcement patrolling the neighborhoods can see this during their patrols."

Dollahon estimated that, if the sign measure is OK'd by councilors, the city could have the first signs by the end of October.

Miyagishima said when he was growing up, some of his neighborhood friends got a hug from their dad, who was a police officer, each day in case he didn't return home from work. That was in the early '70s, but it's a "different era now." He wants officers to know they're appreciated.

While there has been an outpouring of support for law enforcement this summer, there also has been criticism of police nationally, particularly over the use of force. In Las Cruces, as a memorial service for Hatch Officer José Ismael Chavez took place on Aug. 21, two LCPD officers fired at and killed a suspect who authorities say lunged at them with a 14-inch knife. The 3rd Judicial District Attorney's office cleared the officers last week, saying the shooting was justified. However, family members of the suspect, Juan Gabriel Torres, have objected to the shooting, saying they believe the situation could have been de-escalated without resorting to gunfire. Court documents indicated Torres suffered from mental illness, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Asked where the line should be drawn between carte blanche support for law enforcement and a critical review that's necessary to ensure officers aren't carrying out abuses of power, Miyagishima said the city's job is to hire the best personnel it can and trust them to act appropriately.

"There always room for improvement, sure," he said. "But there's always 98 percent of any organization, they're good people. They try to do the right thing."